250 BULLETIN 17 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



through three air levels, high in the air at sundown, closer to the ground at 

 dusk, and on the ground after dark. Because of this versatility, its food must 

 necessarily be more varied, and, because obtained from three strata of insect 

 life instead of one or two, must be more regularly plentiful. 



A. W. Anthony (1892) says that "a large part of his bill of fare 

 is obtained by jumping up from the ground and catching passing 

 insects, without taking wing — a habit also noticed in PhalaenoptilusP 



Behavior.— RohQvt S. Woods (1924b) writes: 



The flight of the Texas Nighthawk gives the impression of ease to a greater 

 degree than that of any other of our smaller birds. While not slow, it appears 

 leisurely and is frequently varied by periods of gliding. The large expanse of 

 wung gives great buoyancy and the bird seems to float through the air almost 

 without effort, while a turn of the wing serves to change its course at an 

 abrupt angle. The Texas Nighthawk flies at a much lower altitude than is 

 the usual habit of swallows and swifts. While hunting it never ascends to 

 any great height, and often skims close to the ground, passing among the 

 vegetation. In the evening its activities begin about sunset or earlier, usually 

 ceasing before dark, and in the morning it is apt to remain in the air for 

 some time after sunrise. It may sometimes be seen hunting at mid-day, 

 especially in cloudy weather. The nighthawk displays some curiosity and 

 often swoops down within a few feet of one's head. Even at that distance 

 the flight is entirely inaudible. 



Major Bendire (1895) says: "Its flight is equally as graceful as 

 that of the other Nighthawks, but it rarely soars as high as tlie 

 former, and generally skims just over the tops of the bushes or close 

 to the surface of the water. In fact, I have repeatedly seen them 

 touch the surface, as if drinking or catching insects, probably the 

 latter." Mr. Dawson (1923) has seen them drinking "hen-fashion" 

 from a waterhole or dipping on the wing to drink from a larger 

 body of water. 



Texas nighthawks have favorite roosting places, to which they re- 

 turn regularly for their daytime rest. Near our camp in the valley 

 of the San Pedro Eiver, Ariz., one roosted regularly, apparently 

 sound asleep all day, sitting lengthwise on a horizontal limb of a 

 large willow. Ned Hollister (1908) says that about Needles, Calif., 

 "the nighthawks here spend the day in the thickets of arrow-weed 

 from which I frequently flushed them." Grinnell and Storer (1924), 

 referring to the Yosemite region, write : "Each individual nighthawk 

 seemed to have a favorite resting place to which it returned regularly. 

 This was on the gravel, at the side of, and partially shaded by, a lupine 

 or other bush. The male bird of the pair mentioned was seen to re- 

 turn to the neighborhood of such a spot time and time again, and upon 

 flushing him directly and thus ascertaining its exact location, the site 

 was found to be marked by an accumulation of droppings of character- 

 istic form — each a small spiralled mass composed chiefly of finely 

 triturated insect remains," 



Voice. — Mr. Woods (1924b) writes: 



